ConsenSys, a major blockchain software technology concern, continues advancing it’s work for the expansion of interoperability within the blockchain. On November 9, 2022, ConsenSys announced the introduction of new tools for it’s widely used Metamask wallet, said tools operating to aggregate various blockchain bridges in one location. See, e.g. Partz, H. MetaMask allows moving tokens on multiple blockchains with new DApp. (Accessed November 10, 2022)].

Photo Source

As per the official ConsenSys blog on this subject:

Increased bridging activity over the past year has led to multiple bridge solutions to accommodate users hopping across chains. While this introduced a slew of routes, it also added a layer of uncertainty around which one to pick. Now, MetaMask curates this for you and takes the extra guesswork out of the equation.

[Metamask. MetaMask Launches Bridge Aggregator In Dapp To Easily Move Tokens Across Chains. (Accessed November 10, 2022)].

In producing this service, ConsenSys chose to integrate with two bridge aggregators, to wit: Socket and Li.Fi. By utilizing these two aggregators, the new Metamask service will initially support such individual bridges as Connext, Celar cBridge, Polygon Bridge and Hop, for instance. [See, e.g. Edyme, S. MetaMask Launches Bridge Aggregator, Enabling to Move Tokens across Blockchains. (Accessed November 10, 2022)].

According to Angela Potter, Product Manager for Metamask Bridges, Metamask’s new bridging service operates to propose the optimal bridge for the user chosen path, which has been selected ny the system as the safest and most decentralized path for the transaction. But while the new service does determine the bridge affording the best price, customers must review estimates for transaction completion times to choose the fastest, if they so choose. So, thanks to this new bridge functionality on Metamask, human need to search for a trustworthy bridge is satisfied by the system itself. [See, e.g. Brenda Mary. MetaMask update enables DApp token movement across blockchains. (Accessed November 10, 2022)].

This new bridging service is presently live on Metamask. To access this service simply open your Metamask extension, and immediately below where you choose between assets and/or activity, and click ‘Portfolio site’. Once the new page loads, choose Bridge from the menu on the left side of your screen. When the bridge page loads, merely connect your Metamask wallet and you are ready to bridge your assets. First select your desired starting network (the network where your transaction is bridging from), then select the destination network (the location where you want your transaction to arrive). Next choose the token you want to move. Once chosen you can then choose between using the recommended path for your transaction or review other paths with differing prices and time requirements. It’s just that easy friends.

Presently, bridge transfers using this service is restricted to transactions of $10,000 per transfer during the beta phase. Metamask is not collecting any fee for this service during beta. No release date to the general public has been announced by ConsenSys. [See, e.g. Brenda Mary, supra].

The Metamask Bridge currently supports: ETH and Wrapped ETH, major stablecoins, native gas tokens, and major EVM’s such as Ethereum, Avalanche, Binance Smart Chain (BSC), and Polygon. Support for Arbitrum and Optimism and other EVM’s are said to be made available sometime in the unspecified future. [See, e.g. Edyme, supra]. However, Bitcoin intregation is presently not on the roadmap for bridge support. [See, e.g. Partz, supra].

Once the beta restrictions are lifted, (especially the $10,000 transaction amount requirement), this Metamask service should prove to be an everyday valuable addition to all cryptocurrency toolboxes.

Table of Authorities

• Brenda Mary. MetaMask update enables DApp token movement across blockchains. (Accessed November 10, 2022)

• Edyme, S. MetaMask Launches Bridge Aggregator, Enabling to Move Tokens across Blockchains

• Metamask. MetaMask Launches Bridge Aggregator In Dapp To Easily Move Tokens Across Chains. (Accessed November 10, 2022)

• Partz, H. MetaMask allows moving tokens on multiple blockchains with new DApp. (Accessed November 10, 2022)